Sunday, August 11, 2013

The one thing when it comes to eating steak in Singapore is that the beauty of sauces is largely ignored. Very often, the focus is so much on the quality of the beef and the use of gimmickry like sous vide that very little attention is given to sauces.

That is probably the main reason why I hardly eat steaks outside these days. That, and the fact that steaks are so outrageously priced these days that it has become a luxury food more than anything else.

Even more affordable steak joints like Astons and Jack's Place are no longer serving great steaks, and very often it has become a pale shadow of their former selves.

I often cringe when I see beautiful beef eaten with just ketchup and chilli sauce, and see it accompanied with rice or worse, pasta which is a sacrilege to those who really appreciate a good steak.

And then again, I would never pay the astronomical prices for a wagyu when I know if a chef is good, he can do wonders with just a simple ribeye from Australia if he knows how to cook it perfectly. Which incidentally, is medium rare.

The classic flavor combination of beef and potatoes is unbeatable, and should never be tempered with. And over the years, the great chefs have always found ways to refine that with much finesse and subtlety. But as with good steak dishes, the sauce is the one key component that will elevate any steak to beef nirvana.

So today, I want to demonstrate how to make a simple but beautiful sauce to go with a ribeye steak that you can get from NTUC Finest.

To begin, melt some butter in a saucepan until it partially foams. Add in one fully chopped onion and let the onions sweat until they are translucent. Season with some pepper. Add in about 2 strips of chopped bacon and cook for about a minute or 2.

Add in a dash of white wine and stir for a minute. Next, chop about 2 portobello mushrooms finely and add into the saucepan and cook them until they are soft. Add in a cup or glass of red wine and let the alcohol burn off.

Add in a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of flour and mix well until the floor is absorbed into the mixture. Now, add in beef stock in phases. As you add, the sauce will form and thicken. Use your own judgement to determine how thick you want the sauce to be.

Keep stirring and once you reach a beautiful and glossy consistency, bring the sauce to a boil and then let it simmer in low heat for about 15 minutes or more.

When you ready to serve, just heat it up and stir the sauce to bring it back to a beautiful gloss then serve on the beef in whichever way you prefer.

A beautiful and delicious sauce that is fresh and flavorful. If only Astons has this, then maybe I will reconsider going back there again.